In the 1990s, during a renovation designed to preserve The Century Garden’s site heritage, several artifacts were found under the “Fairacres Cottage”.  Among them was a single white ‘Pak Chu’.  These tiny game pieces and their black counterpart, ‘Hak Chu’, were used by early Chinese labourers in games of chance.  Significantly, they indicate the presence of an early Chinese community on this site.  The existence of these artifacts inspires curiosity and encourages discovery.  They challenge us to reexamine what we know about this place - to explore how new discoveries can inform our interpretation of history.

Hak Chu / Pak Chu

Completion: 2021
Location: Century garden, Burnaby BC
Dimensions: 30” diameter game pieces x 40
Medium: White and black polished concrete
Designer: Nathan Lee

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